Lost Boy Found
by Jewelled Boots
Summary: For almost a hundred years Edward has lived in the wild alone, the extreme solitude making him near feral. Then Alice comes along, intent on having him for a little brother. But can a vampire without a voice ever truly belong? Alice thinks so and she refuses to be wrong. AU. Contains scenes of corporal punishment and some coarse language.
1. Alice Knows Best

Note: This is an old idea I simply wanted to get out of my head. I have always loved these types of stories best.

I prefer my vampires to be more relatable, so they do blink, breathe, and tire. They can also consume a few things outside of blood and they most certainly do not sparkle. Lastly, ages have been changed at my discretion.

If you are interested leave a review. Whether I continue or not, I will not be deleting this one because I like it too much!

Without further ado, enjoy!

oOo

 **H** e had never seen such a tiny vampire before.

The girl stared at him with her large amber eyes that held no trace of fear or wariness despite him just having growled at her. Her black top and tight skirt glittered in the sunlight. In her hand was an odd brown square which she continually sucked upon.

Her scent was unnatural. It was too strong and heavy, and yet curiously pleasant. Something about it felt familiar, but his hazy memories provided no help.

He tried looking into her own thoughts and a myriad of strange visions flooded his cranium. They flashed by in a disconcerting rush, images of himself interacting with people he'd never met in a place he didn't know. The scenes kept changing so fast that it was impossible to make sense of them. It was too much for his mind to take in. He pulled out with pained hiss and a rapid shake of his head, fear chilling the venom in his veins. Wide, angry eyes snapped to the girl.

The summer breeze brushed Alice's dark hair against her pale cheek. She passively watched the wild boy curl his lip and crouch lower to the ground. A thrill of nervousness passed through her.

Jasper was going to be livid once he found out about this, but all her visions had shown things ending poorly if any male tried to approach the boy. She was the only one who could reach him right now. It was simple, really. Just no sudden movements and no talking until after he tried the chocolate. The chocolate was the key.

Her second sight wouldn't lead her astray here. Without a doubt, thirty minutes from now she would be heading back home with her new little brother trailing behind her. Good golly, was she going to have fun dressing him...

OoO

Prelude

 _"Alice Knows Best"_

oOo

 _This is the story of one very special boy, a boy who lost himself in the shadows of the world. Darkness, pain, fear...these things were his constant reality. Any other of our kind would have fallen into madness under the circumstances, and yet while deeply damaged in so many ways, this boy never truly broke. His spirit was strong, though he thought himself weak. It would take him a lot to realize the truth of many things. We, his family, were all going to help him, of course, but it was going to be a process. A long and hard process. And as you can can imagine, the beginning of it wasn't exactly the smoothest..._

Compassion and understanding weren't traits often associated with vampires. As a rule they were a self-centered lot and showed nothing but contempt towards anything they deemed weak or inferior. The members of the Cullen coven were a most peculiar exception and none more so than Esme. Alice was convinced her mother was the gentlest soul to ever grace the surface of the Earth.

The matriarch had been pulling weeds in the garden when Alice returned from the woods. At the sight of the shabbily dressed nomad accompanying her daughter, Esme's features displayed only surprise and curiosity. Even under the stranger's searching glare, she showed not a tinge of unease. Alice gave a brief explanation of what was going on and the older woman accepted it without voicing a single question. A moment later and they were all inside the beautiful log cabin house.

The boy was a tense, fidgety creature. He kept close to Alice at first and scanned every corner of the room as if expecting malevolent vampires to suddenly pop out and attack him. Consumed by her excitement, Alice chattered on about bedrooms and wardrobes and stores she had to visit immediately. He was far too overwhelmed by the situation to comprehend a single word spilling out from her animated tongue.

Thankfully, Esme eventually quieted her daughter and offered their guest a shower. The brunette was a very pretty woman. Her eyes were warm and she had a pleasant inner voice. He wasn't about to let his guard down with her, but he had to admit she seemed quite harmless. He looked to Alice and she smiled her encouragement. It had been a very, _very_ long time since he last took a proper bath. He could hardly remember how it felt.

Turning again to Esme, he hesitated a second longer before giving a slow nod. She smiled and gently led him away.

It was then that Alice called her father and her mate to inform them of the new arrival. She only told them a bit over the phone, but it was enough for both males to leave their jobs early and rush home. Normally it was a twenty minute trip from the town to their house, however, her mate was doing the driving and he was worried. It wouldn't be long before she heard the frantic roar of an engine pulling up the driveway.

This was the part she really had been dreading. Carlisle, she knew, would probably be more concerned than angry. Jasper on the other hand? Oh ho ho, would he be fun. The man was much too protective of her and he was not fond of surprises. Imagining his reaction to her news was enough to make Alice's stomach a tad queasy. She wished she had of been able to do things differently, to include the family in her plans, but it just wasn't to be. She didn't regret anything. In time, Jasper would come to understand.

Or so she hoped.

"I don't believe this." Jasper raked his hand through his long, honey blond waves, his booted foot tapping the hardwood floor incessantly. "How could you...Good God, Alice, have you lost your mind?!" he fixed furious eyes upon her.

The petite woman sat on the living room sofa with her hands folded in her lap. She gazed calmly back at the tall male. "I am in full possession of all my mental faculties, thank you very much."

"He could have killed you!"

"I was perfectly safe, Jasper. He would never have harmed me." at least not seriously. She had seen one outcome of the boy throwing her to the ground, but her worrywart of a husband didn't need to know that.

"I don't care what you saw, Alice." Jasper spoke through gritted teeth and his projected anger prickled her skin. "What you did was beyond foolish and I will not accept it! The very moment you learned about this nomad Carlisle and I should have been informed!"

"I told you," Alice replied slowly, "he wouldn't have come if either of you were there."

"Then he should've been left where he was!"

Her expression hardened. "No, he shouldn't have. He belongs in this family. I did what I had to do to save my little brother."

Jasper scoffed and turned away, crossing his arms as his foot starting tapping again. His wife pursed her lips. He was making it terribly hard to stay cool and collected.

Hesitantly, her eyes traveled to where Carlisle sat reclining in a plush chair. He had yet to say a word after she told the two males her story. With his slicked back hair and still wearing his doctor's coat, the blond patriarch looked as composed as ever. His right ankle rested on his left knee and a curled finger was pressed to his chin. Intense anger had darkened Jasper's eyes to a pitch black, but Carlisle's remained a clear honey-yellow. His gaze was focused on the ceiling.

Alice swallowed. Her head was hurting from resisting Jasper's emotional influence and it was mingling with the strain of her overusing her gift this week. Now that she could finally stop worrying about the new addition to the family, her energy was rapidly depleting it seemed. She was in serious need of a nap.

"You saw him before the move." Carlisle spoke at last. "That's why you wanted us to come here."

Startled a bit by his voice, Alice blinked to refocus herself. She affirmed his deduction with a quick, "Yup."

"And if you had of told Jasper or myself, we doubtlessly would have gotten involved and scared him off."

"Exactly." she nodded.

The coven leader hummed and laced his fingers over his raised ankle. Finally he lowered his eyes to his daughter. "I can't say I'm entirely happy about all of this, but I understand why you had to handle the matter like so." a gentle smile formed on his lips. "When do I get to meet him?"

Jasper threw his hands up in aggravation.

 _And so the path was set. The start was rocky and it was only going to get worse as the days continued. But I had faith, a faith that went deeper than my visions. This boy needed us and we needed him. We thought we had ourselves all figured out. We were settled and happy and we each knew our role to play. Funny how it would take a lost boy to point us in the right direction..._


	2. The Boy Has A Name

Thank you to Acer Quercus, Divergentmockingjay711, Rachiebell, Zaphray, jansails, jenny.s.72, josephinebt93, phoebe1012, soapdemon34, and Spawn for your support!

Please feel free to share all questions, comments, and ideas!

Do enjoy!

OoO

Chapter Two

 _"The Boy Has A Name"_

oOo

A scowl wrinkled Edward's nose as he inspected his reflection in the mirror. His gaunt features made him look older than his sixteen years of age. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes and his cracked lips were peeling. On the side of his neck the scar of his damnation showed clear upon his unnaturally pale skin.

Swallowing, he tried combing his fingers through his bronze mop of damp hair and winced when he snagged a tangle. His frozen heart clenched. He didn't even recognize the face looking back at him.

A knock sounded at the bedroom door and he spun around.

"Are you decent, dear?" came Esme's soft voice.

He placed a hand over his heart and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. It was only her again.

"Mm." he grunted in affirmation.

The matriarch opened the door slowly and stepped inside. She had changed out of her gardening attire and into a t-shirt and jeans.

"Oh my, don't you look handsome." she smiled. Alice had secretly purchased a few outfits for him weeks before his arrival. Upon exiting the bathroom a full hour after he entered it, Edward found a flannel shirt, grey sweatpants, blue socks, and a pair of black briefs waiting on the bed. They were the most comfortable clothes he had ever worn.

"Was your shower pleasant?" Esme asked.

He nodded, though the word "pleasant" didn't even begin to describe that heavenly experience. If the water hadn't begun to cool, he would still be under it.

"Very good. I brought you something that should make your stay here a lot easier." she held out a notepad and pen. "Whenever you are in need of anything you can just write it down for me or anyone else in the household. We'll do our best to accommodate you."

His brow furrowing, Edward looked at the notepad and back to Esme. Her eyes twinkled.

Alice had told him that the vampires here were to be his family. She told him that everyone would love him and that he would no longer have to live in fear. It had all been so incredible, the chocolate, her words, and those big, pure eyes. He didn't believe her and yet he had ended up following her. Maybe that chocolate was magical and now he was under some spell. It had tasted like magic at least.

He was being stupid, he knew. He needed to get out of here. He shouldn't have even come here. Did these vampires somehow know about his gift of mind reading? Was that the real reason as to why he had been brought to this place? But no-one could hide their thoughts that well to trick him and Esme wasn't giving anything away. The entirety of this situation was baffling.

Edward bit his lip, his hands twisting into his shirt. He looked again to the notepad in Esme's hand and then to her softly smiling eyes. She and Alice were the first vampires he had met to share the amber color which he himself had been ridiculed for. Perhaps...perhaps they were different from the others.

He inhaled a deep breath and stepped forward. His fingers gingerly gripped the notepad and pen.

Esme clasped her hands behind her back. "May I have your name?"

The boy frowned at the request. As a human he had been terribly fond of writing, but since being changed he'd never found reason to continue the practice. Just how many years had it been, he wondered.

With his left hand he took up the pen and awkwardly situated it. The instrument pressed hard against his bony fingers and made him wince. His stomach began to bubble with anxiety. Shakily, he touched the tip of the writing utensil to the paper.

"Mama, I'm home!" a masculine voice suddenly boomed from downstairs. Edward jumped.

"I got all that curtain stuff you wanted, plus some fabric dye cos I want mine to look real trippy." the voice continued to shout. "And where's this new guy Alice brought home? She should've let me have a look at him first. I wouldn't have scared him much."

"Oh, Emmy..." Esme worriedly glanced over her shoulder. Hearing his loud call normally made her smile, but this was really the worst time for it. She rubbed her wrist in a nervous habit and looked back to the bronze haired boy. His expression sent a pang through her heart. Eyes wide, he was clutching the notepad and pen to his chest. He looked ready to bolt.

"Sweetheart," she called gently, reaching out for him before she thought better of it. "Everything's alright. That's just my oldest son Emmett and I assure you he is completely harmless. You are safe here."

Edward didn't seem to be hearing her. The smooth voice of the matriarch's husband wafted up the stairs. Good, he would rein in their boisterous bear.

"Sweetheart," Esme tried again with Edward. "Could you look at me, please?"

He blinked, quivering. His glazed eyes drifted to her face.

 _"You are safe here."_ she repeated firmly. "No-one wants to hurt you and even if they tried I wouldn't let them. And believe you me," a smirk quirked her lips. "I'm no pushover."

His forehead creased. She couldn't possibly mean what she was saying. It didn't make any sense. He peered into her mind, certain her thoughts would at last reveal the truth of her deceptive exterior, but her inner voice spoke with even greater fervor. She wanted him to feel safe. She wanted him to believe she would protect him from anyone who sought to harm him. He swallowed, not understanding her at all.

A door closed downstairs and the house grew quiet once more.

Edward drew a trembling breath in through his mouth. He couldn't trust these people, he knew that, but some traitorous part of himself wanted to believe the brunette's words. For so long he had been so alone...

Struggling to contain his shaking, he held the notepad away from his chest, positioned the pen again, and just barely managed to write his name.

OoO

Carlisle shut the door to his study and turned to face his two eldest children. Rosalie and Emmett had seemed amiable enough when they first arrived home, but now the mated pair both sported narrowed eyes and crossed arms. The patriarch arched an eyebrow.

"What the hell is going on around here, Carlisle?" Rosalie was the first to speak, her glare particularly icy. "Why in the world would you just let Alice bring some random nomad into our territory?"

"She could've been hurt." said her hulking partner. "Or worse."

Inhaling, Carlisle folded his own arms across his chest and leaned back against the door. "I am well aware of what could have gone wrong. However, as I told you over the phone, today's events came as a complete surprise to myself. I cannot stop Alice from doing what I don't know." he fixed Rosalie with a hard look. "And though I understand your concern about what happened, I kindly ask you to watch your language with me. You know how I feel about that, Rose."

The blond beauty rolled her eyes. Carlisle bristled.

"Rosalie Hale." he warned.

Huffing, she flicked the shades resting atop her head of silky tresses and they fell down over her eyes. "There, now you can't see it."

Emmett fought back a smile. Their coven leader trailed his tongue along his teeth and shook his head.

"Girl, you are just asking for it."

"Aww, Daddy," she imitated her younger sister's higher pitched voice. "Don't be such a big ol' meanie or you'll shrivel up like a nasty ol' prune." the act was completed with pouty lips and wiggling hips, her skimpy outfit making the motion less innocent than it should be. Emmett covered his mouth, but a snort of laughter escaped him anyway.

"Man, that's just how she does it!"

Carlisle pressed his lips together to stop from smiling himself. Rosalie really was too good when it came to impersonations.

She lowered her head slightly and gazed over her sunglasses. "We cool?"

Her cheekiness truly knew no bounds. He opened his mouth to criticize her behavior, paused as if searching for the right words, then finally sighed as he realized the fight had gone out of him. Nodding in defeated amusement, he replied with "we're cool", the modern expression sounding odd coming from him.

The atmosphere in the room relaxed. Carlisle was thankful for that because Jasper's earlier projecting still had the patriarch feeling a mild headache. He hoped Alice wasn't having too hard a time with her mate on their hunt, but considering how upset the empath had been, Carlisle didn't expect things to be going well for her now. Poor girl.

"So, you really think this guy is safe, Pops?" asked Emmett, pocketting his hands inside his ripped jeans. "Or do we have to start locking our doors at night?"

His wife snorted. "Babe, one look at you and _he'll_ be the one locking his door."

He grinned at her and Carlisle smiled wryly at them both.

"No, I don't think he's a danger to anyone, though I haven't actually seen him yet myself. I only know what Alice has told me."

That earned the father two disbelieving stares. His smile softened.

"How about we all sit down. There's a few things we need to discuss about our guest."


End file.
